Back in the Game!

 Hello world!!!

LOL, it has been so long since I've really posted anything...what a year!  I have been on furlough from teaching since that crazy day, Friday, March 13, 2020.

At this point, I have been hired on as the full time handwork (or practical arts) teacher at my Waldorf charter school beginning in August.  This will be the very first time I have an actual handwork room, although I have not seen in what condition it is, it will be better than teaching out of a closet.  Onwards and upwards, ne c'est pas?  Although I will have a classroom,  I will NOT have an assistant, and with very full classes of between 30 and 40, I am not sure how great that will be, but I am willing to find out.  The school year begins the end of August and I have already started prepping in July so I am not slammed in August, although, I am sure I will still have challenges and late nights of prep.

So here is to somewhat new beginnings!

(Pictured sewing 40 handwork bags for the new 1st graders!)

~Theresa

Quarantine Buddies

Quarantine Buddies

Just finished making some little friends for a couple of little ones that I know and love!

Simple pattern, I will post that later, but for now:

Weaving a vintage lawn chair

Well, I have not been so active on this blog, so let's get back! I will add student work from this year, but first a project I finished last weekend, super fun and I learned a lot. Next time, I would use softer non cotton macrame rope. I used a weaving trick on the edges, and that is easily looked up. Evidentely, I am not the only one who has done this...had I just looked it up, it would have saved me SO MUCH TIME.

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                    3rd grade weaving

Needle Felting Pumpkins

A few finished pumpkins:

Courage Day 2015 (aka Michaelmas)

The dragon came, and each of the 2 second grades faced their fears!  Our school now has 2 separate campuses, thus 2 Geaorge and the Dragon plays.  I help the 6th grade create the dragon for the play...the wings created by one of the classes was spectaculor!!!  At the end of the school day, we have a Courage day festival, with lots of feats of courage for all the kiddos!!!

7th grade watercolor VanGogh like paintings.

I do not teach painting, but these 7th grade Van Gogh like paintings really were so beautiful!  

Dye Day!

                                                   Oh , hey! This is my 100th post!

Time to dye yarn with Grade 5!  I've posted this before, but we use kool-aide to dye the yarn. I soak natural hanks of yarn from Brown Sheep  in vinegar and water overnight, and dye the next day.

After having done this for many years, I think I've finally streamlined this and have it down!  This can be done in one 50 minute class if you are prepared, but more time is better.  The yarn sits in the sun in those baggies for days (I have the students put them out in the morning, and bring back in at the end of the school day). The next class we have in a week, we will rinse and hang the yarn to dry.

Have I mentioned I have 2 fifth grades, both at about 30 students...that's a lot of dyeing!

Welcome to the 2015/2016 School Year!

Oh boy, here we go again with good intentions of keeping up posts on this blog...has it really been 2 years? Well, there are a few projects that happened in that time, and here is one that was really successful with an 8th grade class.  Ladies and gents, regard the Adobe wood burning outdoor oven!  I used the plans from Sunset magazine:  http://www.sunset.com/garden/how-to-sunset-classic-adobe-oven

note the can for the back vent

mixing the adobe, using clay from the garden

working on the door

adding adobe mixture to wire form

The door!

Forming opening to oven with curved flashing

Keeping adobe moist so not too many cracks

Burning out the cardboard barrel

Finished!